DIY indoor gardening: self-watering soda bottle planter

Even if you have a brown thumb (and I know I certainly do), there’s an easy way to grow plants indoors that requires very little set-up time and virtually no downstream maintenance. You may have already done this DIY project in school when you were a kid, but if not allow me to introduce to you… the magical self-watering soda bottle planter:

This is a great entry-level DIY project: minimal supplies are required, no expertise is necessary, and the self-watering gimmick means it’s not a problem if you forget about your plant for awhile between waterings – the darned thing takes care of itself. The paper towels in the bottle neck aren’t even really necessary – you can use the husk from a coconut or any type of fibrous material to hold the potting soil in place and create the same wicking effect.

If you are not a soda drinker (good for you!), simply raid your neighbor’s trash or recycling and you should have plenty of raw materials at hand to get started. The bottles are great for growing herbs, small flowering plants, ivy, and a lot more. Here’s a non-self-watering hanging variety that is pretty nifty too (can’t understand anything this dude says, but it’s easy to follow along):

Not to mention they’re a great conversation piece if you are trying to impress people with your green bona fides. Both of these planters actually do not look too bad around the house – some plants will even grow to conceal the container – although they will clash with minimalist/modernist design schemes and will look out of place in lavish surroundings. But if you’re living in that kind of splendor, you’re probably not into a lot of DIY projects anyway, right?

If you are not a soda drinker (good for you!), simply raid your neighbor’s trash or recycling and you should have plenty of raw materials at hand to get started. The bottles are great for growing herbs, small flowering plants, ivy, and a lot more. Here’s a non-self-watering hanging variety that is pretty nifty too (can’t understand anything this dude says, but it’s easy to follow along):